One of the things we respect about Ted Leonsis is his transparent passion for his teams. He seems to truly care about what the fans think, at least more than some other D.C. team owners.
Unfortunately, that passion can sometimes appear in the form of some pretty harsh words.
In a recent post on his blog, Leonsis laid in to a guest writer at DCist who had written some detailed criticism of the Wizards performance and the team’s direction. He took exception to the critic’s tone, which he called out for their “naiveté and lack of substance,” and felt the need to defend his business.
He talked about how ticket sales and sponsorship revenues are up. He predicted season ticket renewal rates to increase this year. He compared the team’s growth of dollars to that of the blog he was targeting with his pointed response.
While all of that certainly shows his competence as an owner, there is a problem with that logic. Fans don’t care about the team’s bottom line. They care about winning. The team’s revenue doesn’t affect the fan morale. The win-loss column does.
Leonsis has repeatedly asked for patience from the fans while he rebuilds the Wizards. We’re willing to give him that, but he needs to return the favor.
So Ted, be patient with us. We’re frustrated fans. It kills us to watch our team lose game after game. It doesn’t make us “naïve.” It makes us human.
Questions, comments or tips? Email Sarah at sarahskogod@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@sarahschorno).
